would this be a good bike to turn into a fixed gear?



Milton Baker

New Member
Sep 12, 2010
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i know almost nothing about bikes and i want to get a fixed gear to ride on a trail near my house for fitness reasons. the bike is a singlespeed and from what i understand all i need is a cog and lockring. is this correct? any advice would be nice.

thinking about buying this to convert into my first fixed gear:

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http://sacramento.craigslist.org/bik/2214854480.html
 
Well, if you're 6'5" tall-or-taller, then that Raleigh might be okay ...
  • How tall are you?!?
But, I think that you can do better (i.e., a new bike) for only a little more money ... So, I would say that you should keep looking.
 
im definitely not that tall lol. what new bike would you recommend? ive just been looking up fixed gears or ss/road bikes to convert on craigslist.
 
ive been looking at this but im not sure what size it is. going to call the seller today:


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The particular FUJI is about a 57x57 ([COLOR= #808080]seat tube & top tube, c-c, respectively[/COLOR]) ... and, it would be okay if you are about 5'10" to 6'1" ...

  • How tall ar you?!?

FWIW. I'm 5'9" and while I have a Fuji which is THAT size, I now ride a smaller size frame ([COLOR= #808080]more for cosmetic reasons -- I use a longer stem on the frames which have shorter top tubes, so the net size remains the same as the Fuji which I bought a bazillion years ago[/COLOR]).

If you bought the Fuji then you would need to spend at least $15 more for a Single Speed Freewheel OR $20+ for a Track cog + lockring (an English BB lockring unless you opt for new hubs) ... plus, a handful of tools ... PLUS, you would want to re-dish the rear wheel..

You can get a ready-to-ride Single Speed from eBay for just over $200 -- MICARGI RD-269 CHIC FIXIE 53cm FIXED GEAR BIKE - WHITE:


There are other sizes, models, colors, AND styles for that brand ... prices vary ...

YOU CAN SPEND MORE ... much more for some other brands!

Of course, if you are a wise shopper, then you can buy a used pair of Drop Bars for less than the cost of the handlebar tape ...

Again, you could spend more ...

Drop bars would need different brake levers, too, BTW.
 
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this is the frame that i want to rebuild. idk what type of nishiki it is. i crashed it bad and i think the dropouts are bent. im going to try and bring it to a shop to get it turned into a fixie. i have a budget of $180-220. would this be possible?
 
Originally Posted by Milton Baker .

this is the frame that i want to rebuild. idk what type of nishiki it is. [COLOR= #ff0000]i crashed it bad and i think the dropouts are bent[/COLOR]. im going to try and bring it to a shop to get it turned into a fixie. i have a budget of $180-220. would this be possible?
First, a shop might be able to do the work for you within the budget you have allocated ... but, they will undoubtedly be charging you $35-to-$70 to do the work ... work which you can-and-could easily Do Yourself ...

  • Basically, [COLOR= #008000]you will need the skill level required to remove a cap from a pickle jar & to replace it [/COLOR]...

So, while there are many people who cringe when a bike as nice as your Nishiki is converted into a Single Speed, I am not amongst those people ...


IMO, since the options are to maintain the bike as-is, update it with contemporary components, reduce it to a Single Speed (Fixie and/or Freewheel), or recycle-it-into-oblivion, I see nothing wrong with your current intention to convert your Nishiki into a Single Speed ... after all, you-or-someone-else can always rebuild it with gears if-and-when (SAVE whatever you remove in a small, well-labeled box).

By my reckoning, since you apparently need a new rear wheel ([COLOR= #808080]I presume you still have the rear brake caliper[/COLOR]) AND because you can buy an inexpensive ''Track'' wheelset for $100 from eBay ([COLOR= #808080]you can spend a lot more, of course![/COLOR]) from at least two retailers ([COLOR= #808080]one of the wheelsets even has tire & tubes of unknown quality[/COLOR]), I think that is the route you should follow ...

You will want a set of BMX chainring bolts (~$6+) OR the patience-and-capability to reduce the length of the ''female'' portion of the bolts.

If you are going with a "Fixie" and if you want a BMX Freewheel ($20 +/-) ... I recommend ACS (or, Shimano) ... then you will probably a Freewheel with 1/8'' teeth ... otherwise, I would go with a Freewheel which has [COLOR= #ff0000]3/32'' [/COLOR]teeth ... Track cogs with 3/32" teeth are available, BTW.

  • I recommend an 18t or 20t if you want to use the 52t chainring unless you live in a really flat area OR unless you already know the tooth count that you want to use

You'll need a chain break to shorten the chain + an adjustable wrench (or, 15mm? wrench) to tighten-and-loosen the nuts on the rear-and/or-front axle.

If you no longer have the rear brake caliper, then getting one would be a good idea.

Not counting the tools, here's the short list:

$100 "Track" wheels (eBay)
+ 6 BMX chainring bolts (LBS)
+ 20 3/32" BMX Freewheel (eBay)
-------
$126 +/-

With parts in hand, basically, you would:

  1. install-and-inflate the tires (as needed)
  2. install the Freewheel (as needed)
  3. decide which chainring you want to use
  4. shorten the chain -- leave a couple of extra links
  5. [COLOR= #808080]re-install the rear brake[/COLOR]

DONE!

Hope that helps you get started ...

BTW. How badly are (or, what makes you think) [COLOR= #ff0000]the dropouts [/COLOR][COLOR= #000000](are)[/COLOR][COLOR= #ff0000] bent[/COLOR]? If the rear wheel sits akimbo when it is in the frame, it could be because the wheel was damaged.
 
This is the perfect frame for a fixie. I have my eye open for a frame with horizontal rear drop outs. They are very hard to come by around here the young guys in the city are scooping them all up.
 
i bought a rear wheel for it after i crashed it but it kept turning into the frame and made it unrideable. im not really sure if it was the wheel or if it was the dropouts.
 
Originally Posted by Milton Baker .

i bought a rear wheel for it after i crashed it but it kept turning into the frame and made it unrideable. im not really sure if it was the wheel or if it was the dropouts.
If you can seat the rear wheel squarely in the frame BUT it is slipping when you are riding then:

  • you are not tightening the quick release skewer, enough
  • OR, the skewer has alloy end caps AND [COLOR= #0000ff]you should find your old skewer and simply install it [/COLOR]because you will never be able to tighten an alloy skewer enough to keep the rear wheel in place within a horizontal droput UNLESS the alloy end caps have STEEL teeth or the top of the dropout is notched to catch the skewer.

If you don't have your old skewer, then your best bet would be either a Shimano or Campagnolo skewer.

Separately, the Shimano & Campagnolo skewers tend to be expensive, but you can get a Shimano skewer that is the same quality as the one you might buy separately if you buy the least expensive Shimano hub you can locate (e.g., a Shimano ACERA rear hub).

 
 
 
alright man thanks. i really appreciate it. ill try tightening my drops then ill get new skeweres if need be.
 
successfully converted! thanks for all the help. im going to probably bring it into the shop for maintenance sometime soon just to have it checked out.